Taxonomic Classification of Common Livestock Species A. series of terms (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, speciesetc)is used to denote the member ofa kingdom and each division of the hierarchy contains one or more groups from the next lower division ike subphyla, subclasses, suborders, subfamilies, or subgenera etcif required, Further, species may be subdivided into varieties, breeds, or strains, Domestic farm animals belong to either class Mammalia or Aves. The scientific name of an animal comprise of its genus and species names, The first letter of genus name is written in capital letter but not the species name, While writing the scientific name of an animal the genus and species names are underlined when handwritten and always italicized when printed, General characteristics and taxonomic arrangements of common domestic animals have been given below. Kingdom ; Animalia Members of kingdom Animalia are multicellular, eukaryotic heterotrophs. Adultanimals develop from embryos. Mostanimalsingest and digest thei food in some kind of internal cavity.Phylum : Chordata All chordates have a dorsal hollow nerve tube, a notochord, post- anal tail and pharyngeal gill slits at some stage of their life cycle. Subphylum : Vertebrata Alll vertebrates have a backbone (spinal column) and normally a closed circulatory system. A. Class: Mammalia Members of class Mammalia has four-chambered heart, a diaphragm which separates thoracic and abdominal cavity, body remains covered with hair and their embryo develops in uterus of the mother. The mother secretes milk for the young ones through the mammary glands. They are homoeothermic animals, 1. Order : Perissodactyla Members of this order are odd-toed ungulates, weightis distributed on central digits 2, 3, 4. First digit remains absent, has simple stomach and is hindgut fermenters (colon with microorganisms for the digestion of cellulose) * 1 toe per foot = horses * 3 toes per foot = tapirs, rhinos * Family: Equidae * Genus: Equus * Equus caballus -- Horse * Equus asinus — Ass or donkey 2. Order : Artiodactyla Members of this order are even-toed ungulates (2 toes or 4 toes, or 2 toes with dew hooves), have compound stomach and also known as cloven hoofed animals. * Suborder: Ruminantia * Family: Bovidae One of the defining characteristics of this family is the presence of unbranched horns. Horns are present in males of all bovid species and in females of some genera. When horns are present in both sexes, hornof males are always thicker at the base and are more complex. The horns are permanently attached to the frontal bones of the skull and are composed of a bone core covered with a keratin sheath (which is never shed). An air space separates these two layers; hence they are often called as "hollow-horned ungulates" © Bos taurus — European cattle + Bos indicus — Indian or zebu or Afrikander cattle (humped cattle) uw Bubalus bubalis — Indian buffalo Bison bison — Bison * vis aries — Sheep © Caprahircus — Goat * Suborder: Tylopoda «Family: Camelidae © Camelus bactrianus — Bactrian camel (two humped) © Camelus dromedaries — Arabian camel (one humped) © Lama pacos — Alpaca © Lama glama — Llama + Rangifer tarandus ~ Reindeer 3. Order : Carnivora These are carnivorous and have large pointed canine teeth. © Family: Canidae * Canis famitiaris DogFamily: Felidae © Felis catus — Cat 4. Order: Proboscidae lS + Family: Elephantidae have four-cham| ed heart and are homeditherm. However, their Bbdies are covered With feathers, lack diaphragiy have beaks and giz7afuls instead of teeth, Rave light, hollow bones and ap air-sac system attached to the lungs and layeggs in which their youn; footed swimmers|abd divers.Domestication is defined as the condition where the breeding, feeding and care of animals are more or less controlled by the man. In other words, domestication is the process by which captive animals adapt to man and the environment provided by him. Taming is defined as elimination of tendencies to flee from man and changes to an animal through taming are primarily behavioural (reduction of its flight distances). Feral animals are the animals which have reverted to the wild state, Our present civilization has its roots in the domestication of animals. The process of domestication started when early humans came in contact with the wild animals and recognized worthiness of animals tothem (supply of food, skins, fibre, draft, and hunting etc). After certain period of time they began to confine some of these animals and bred them in confinement. This practice resulted in some changes in their morphological, physiological and behavioural characteristics. After generations of continuous selection for desirable behavioural and morphological features, animals differed from their ancestors and their genotype also differed. Original or early domesticates were mainly ungulates and gallinaceous birds. The characteristics which favoured the domestication of a species were flexible diet, reasonably fast growth rate, ability to be bred in captivity, pleasant disposition, temperamentand modi ifiable social hierarchy. The actual timing of original prehistoric domesticates has always been contentious and in some cases may differ by a mill burial sit lennium or even more. As excavation of an ancient hidden or te could possibly change the timing of their domestication presently known to us. Time and area of domestication of some of the domesticated animals have been mentioned below 1 4: 8. Source : Ro Dog : First animal domesticated by man, around 12,000 BC, during the time of the hunter-gatherers (the cavemen). Goat : First food animal to be domesticated probably about 10,000 years ago (8000 BC) in Iran, at the edge of the Fertile Crescent. Sheep : Domesticated probably about 8000 BC, around the neighbourhood area where goats were domesticated. Pigs : At least 7000 BC, separately in the Europe and Asia. Cattle: Humpless cattle around 6000 BC in Asia Minor, Greece, or Turkey and zebu cattle domestication began first in India about 4000 BC. Horse (tarpan) : Around 4000 BC by nomadic tribes on the steppes of eastern Asia, Buffalo : About 300 BC around India, Ceylon, and Burma. Yak : About 5,000 years ago on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. ots (2007),